Task

(Contrast with: activity, process)

It is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, and then do your best.
- Edwards Deming

A task is the smallest unit of work subject to management accountability. A task is a well-defined work assignment usually assigned to one person. Related tasks are grouped to form activities.

Processes are Partitioned into Activities and Tasks

Examples of Tasks

The Joint Application Design planning activity is further broken down to the following tasks:

Identify the business processes to be addressed
Identify session participants
Schedule the session
Create the agenda/session plan
Distribute the session plan
Confirm participants
Identify participant training needs (e.g. is a JAD process overview required)

Defining a Task

Some or all of the following elements may be used to define a task:

Entry criteria	Prior tasks complete Prior deliverables approved Task defined Deliverables defined Resources available Responsibilities defined Work authorised.
Tasks	Task step sequence Deliverable definition Deliverable acceptance criteria
Exit criteria	Tests passed Deliverables verified Deliverables approved Review complete Acceptance criteria satisfied

Member Comments	66 Comments	27 member ratings
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RE Definition: Task

Drift Hunters

By May » Fri 22-Aug-2025, 17:57, My rating: ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭

This is a great reminder that effort alone isn't always enough! Understanding the "what" is just as crucial as the "how" when tackling any task. It's easy to get caught up in just doing, but Deming's quote highlights the importance of strategic planning. Thinking about how different tasks feed into larger activities, almost like optimizing a setup in a game like Drift Hunters, where every tweak impacts overall performance, is key to being truly effective. Clear task definition definitely leads to better results.

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